Lock



March 17, 1936. 1. .1.v SEGAL 2,034,359

LOCK

Filed June 7, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l v /N VEN 702?}?! ATTO EY I. J. SEGAL March 17, 1936.

LOCK

Filed June 7, 1934 3 sheets Sheeif 2 l/WEN Patented Mar. 17, .1936

UNITED STATE ATET OFFICE 8 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in coincontrolled locks of the type used upon a door closing a room or apartment controlled by the lock.

Locks of this general type have a coin-receiving casing and a locking bolt adapted to be retracted by knobs or handles at the opposite sides of the door, the arrangement being such that the knob or handle at one side of the door (usually the outside) will not operate to retract the bolt unless a coin is first inserted in the coin-controlled look.

It is highly desirable that when the door of a room or apartment is provided with a coin-controlled lock that the lock be so constructed that the door can not be opened by its outside knob so long as the room or apartment is occupied, and it is also desirable that the lock be provided with a signal or sign which will show whether or not the room or apartment is occupied.

One important feature of the present invention resides in the construction whereby when a coin has been inserted in the coin-controlled lock and the door opened, the coin will be automatically released from its bolt controlling position as the door is closed so that the door can not be again opened from its outside knob so long as the room or apartment is occupied.

Another feature resides in means operable by the outside knob for closing the coin-receiving slot when the apartment is occupied and for positioning an indicator or display sign to show that the apartment is occupied, and in means operable by the inside knob to return the slot closing means and sign to their original positions.

A more specific but important feature of the invention resides in a slide mounted on the lock ing bolt for movement lengthwise thereof and which is constructed and arranged to arrest the downward movement of a coin in the bolt operating position so that the bolt may be retracted upon operating the outside knob, and which also serves to automatically release the coin from its active position as the door is closed.

Still a further feature resides in the construction of the coin-casing which houses the locking mechanism and the means for removably securing this casing to its rear Wall that is fastened to the door.

Other features of the invention and novel combination of parts in addition to the above will be hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate One good, practical form of the invention,

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of portion of a door and door jamb provided with the locking mechanism of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the coin controlled lock of Fig. 1, the door of the coin chamber being removed.

3 is a front elevation of the base or supporting plate for the lock, the cover and certain lock parts being removed and the bolt being projected.

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the bolt retracted.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional View taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of portion of the door and door jamb provided with the lock of the present invention, the cover being removed.

Fg. '7 is a vertical section taken on line |-'l of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of a slide for closing the coin receiving slot, and

Fig. 10 is a sectional View taken on the line HJI0 of Fig. 2.

The coin controlled lock of the present invention is shown as mounted upon a door I the front edge of which when closed lies adjacent the door jamb 2, and the lock is so constructed that it may be easily mounted upon a face of the door without the necessity of forming a mortising cut in the door. To this end the operating parts of the lock are mounted on a base or supporting plate 3 having a flat face adapted to rest firmly against a face of the door; and the plate 3 is fastened to the door I by the screws 4 so that its front edge 5 lies close to the edge of the door.

The various operating parts of the lock are enclosed in a casing 6 constructed to be removably secured to the base plate 3 and the lower portion of this casing has a coin receiving chamber to which access may be had through an opening formed in the front face of the casing. This opening is closed by a removable door 1 adapted to fit in the opening and rest upon the flanges 8 of the casing. The door 1 may have the strengthening ribs 9 upon its inner face which ribs are provided with projecting ends adapted to engage under the upper flange 8, as shown in Fig. 1, to hold the upper portion of the door I in place. The lower portion of this door is locked to the easing 6 by the key controlled look It] having the projecting finger H adapted to be engaged under the lower flange 8 when the lock cylinder I2 is rotated.

The casing 6 for enclosing the locking mechanism and for confining the coins deposited in the lock is so constructed that it may be strongly secured to the base plate 3 to prevent its removal by unauthorized persons, and to this end in the construction shown, the casing is provided along its front edge with the inwardly projecting tongues |3 (see Fig. 10) adapted to enter the recesses l4 'formed within the raised portions l5 upon the base plate 3. The casing 6 fits over the base plate and the rear portion of the casing is secured to the base plate by screws extending through ears i6 provided upon the rear wall of the casing and extending into threaded bosses upon the base plate. Access to these screws is secured by unlocking and removing the door I.

The lock of the present invention is provided with a locking bolt l8 slidably mounted upon the base plate 3 and the forward portion of this bolt slides in a bridge member l9 provided at the front edge of the plate 3. The shank of the bolt slides in a slot formed between raised portions 20 and 2| provided upon the face of the plate 3, and the central portion of the shank is provided with the slot 22 adapted to receive the guide post 23 extending frontwardly from the plate 3. When the door I is closed the bolt |8 projects into a keeper 24 secured to the door jamb 2, and the lock casing 6 is preferably provided upon its front edge with the keeper embracing portions 25 which guard the edge of the keeper to prevent an instrument from being inserted between the keeper and casing to tamper with the bolt I8. The forward end of the bolt projects through a hole formed in the front edge of the casing 6, and the bolt is continuously' urged towards its projected position by a spring 26 coiled around a fixed post 21 and having one end resting against a shoulder 28 of the bolt while the other end rests against a guide flange 29 upon the base plate 3.

An important feature of the present invention residesin the coin controlled mechanism for controlling the locking bolt l8, which mechanism will'now' be described. The casing 6 is provided at its upper end with a slotted portion 30 adapted to receive a coin 0. Below this slot are provided the spaced guide flanges 3| and 32 formed upon the base plate 3 to slidably support a slot closure,

to be described, and the flanges 3| and 32 are provided with the aligned coin receiving slots 33. The coin passes from these slots along a guide- 7 way 34 formed in a face of the raised portion 26 of the mounting plate 3 and is guided by this guide-way into a position in which it lies transversely of the shank of the bolt l8. The arrangement is such that the downward movement of the coin C is arrested opposite the shank of the bolt by the co-operation of an actuating lever 35 and a slide 36 mounted for sliding movement upon the shank of the bolt l8.

The construction and operation of the slide 36 is important and it is shown as secured by screws 31 to an elongated block 38 that is slidably mounted inithe slot 22 of the bolt |8. This block is provided with a transversely extending portion 39 which lies in the space between the base plate 3 and inner face of the bolt shank. The arrangement is such that the sliding movement of the parts 36, 38 and 39 along the bolt is limited in one direction by the guide post 23 and in the opposite direction by the shoulder or flange 46 provided at the rear end of the bolt. The slide 36 has its forward edge slightly curved to engage and support the coin C as will be apparent from Figs. 3 and 4, when the space between the forward edge of this slide and the rear or coin engaging edge of the lever 35 is not suiiicient to perwit the coin to drop therebetween.

The bolt retracting lever 35 is provided with a hub 4| that is rotatably supported by the base plate 3 and a partition or cover plate 42, to be described, and this lever is continuously urged in a contra-clockwise direction by the coiled spring 43 one end of which is secured to a post 44 upon this lever and the other end rests against a wall 45 formed by a recessed portion 2| of the base plate. The rotative movement of the lever 35 under the action of the spring 43 is arrested by a post 45. The lever 35 is operated by a knob or handle 46 having a shaft 41 that is journaled in a sleeve 48 rigidly secured to the casing 6, and the shaft 41 has a squared shank 49 adapted to enter a similarly shaped hole in the hub 4 I. The shank 49 is secured in the hub 4| by a screw 50.

The arrangement so far described is such that when a coin is inserted in the lock it'is guided by the guide-way 34 into a position in which it lies transversely of the bolt shank as shown in Fig. 3, so that it is confined between the lever 35 and slide 36 when the latter abuts against the stop 46. If the handle 46 is now rotated to move the lever 35 in a bolt retracting direction it will act through the coin C to retract the bolt, whereas if a coin does not lie between this lever and slide, the lever may be moved rearwardly until its post 44 strikes against a fixed stop without retracting the bolt I8.

It is important that when'a coin has been inserted in the lock to open the door and the room or apartment which the door controls is occul pied, that means be provided to prevent another coin from being inserted in the lock until the apartment is again vacant. To accomplish this, in the construction shown, the lock is provided with a closure slide 5| which is slidably supported i.

by the flanges 3| and 32 and this slide is provided with a coin receiving slot 52 as best shown in Fig. 9. The arrangement is such that when the slide 5| is in its rear position of Fig. 3 its slot 52 is aligned with the coin receiving slots 33 to receive a coin, whereas when the slide is moved to its forward position of Fig. 4 the coin receiving slot is closed.

The movement of the slide 5| to the slot closing position is effected by rearward movement of the bolt |8 when the latter is retracted by operating the outer knob 46, and this is accomplished by providing the rocking lever 53 a central portion of which is pivotally secured to the plate 3 at 54. The arrangement is such that the upper end of this lever engages the rear end of the slide 5| while the lower end of the lever is positioned to engage the portion 39 of the slide 36, with the re sult that rearward movement of the slide 36 acts through the lever 53 to move the closure 5| frontwardly.

The partition or cover plate 42 above mentioned lies over the coin passage 34 and serves tohold the bolt l8 and hub 4| in their operating position and this plate may be secured in place by screws 55. Upon the plate 42 is rockingly mounted a bolt retracting lever 56 adapted to be operated from the inside of the door to retract the bolt I8. This lever is provided with a hub 5'! which is journaled in the plates 3 and 42 and is further retained in place by the bridge plate 58 which is secured to the plate 42 in spaced relation thereto by screws 59 that extend into posts provided between the plates 42 and 58.

The lever 56 is operated from the inside of the door by a knob or handle 65 the shaft of which is journaled in acollar 6| secured to the inner face of the door, and this shaft is provided with a square shank 62 that extends through a hole in the door into the hub 51. The bolt retracting lever 55 has a portion 53' adapted to engage the shoulder 40 of the bolt to force the bolt rearward, and the outer end 64 of this lever engages the notched portion 65 of the closure slide to move this slide to its rear position. The lever 56 is continuously urged frontwardly by the coiled spring 66.

It is desirable that the lock shall indicate whether or not the apartment it controls is occupied, and this is accomplished by securing to the slide 5| by screws 61 a sign or signal plate 68 bearing the words Vacant and In use, and positioned so that one or the other may be seen through a window or opening 69 formed in the casing 6. The present lock may also be provided with a counting device 10 of well known construction which will indicate the number of coins deposited in the look. This counting device may be mounted upon the plate 42 in such position that its rocking shaft will be actuated by a spring 1| secured to the slide 5| to enter a forked rocking member 12 upon the rocking shaft.

The reading of the counter may be observed through a window or opening 13 in the casing 6, and such reading may be concealed from the public by a cover plate or lever 14 which is pivotally secured to the plate 58 at 15', and this lever is normally held in the window closing position by a spring 16 one end of which is connected to the lever and the other to an anchoring screw 11. The lower end I8 of this lever may be engaged when the door 1 is removed and shifted to move the portion 14 of the lever away from the window 13 so that a reading may be taken.

The present lock may be further provided with key controlled means for retracting the bolt l8 from the outside of the door without depositing a coin in the slot, and to this end the casing 6 is provided with a lock 19 the cylinder 80 of which has secured to its inner end a projecting finger 8| adapted to engage a laterally extending post 82 provided upon the bolt l8 to retract this bolt. When the locking bolt I8 is retracted by turning the lock cylinder 80 the slide will not be carried rearwardly with the bolt and as a result the closure slide 5| will remain in its rear position and the counting device 10 will not be operated.

It is important that the slide 36 be mounted upon the bolt shank so that suflicient friction will be provided between these parts to cause the slide to move rearwardly with the bolt when the closure slide 5| is in its forward position but will not be carried rearwardly by the bolt when the closure slide is in its rearward position and the lower end of the lever 53 is moved forward to lie in the path of the portion 39 of the slide 36. As a result of this arrangement the bolt |8 and slide 36 will be positively moved rearwardly when a coin C is held in the position shown in Fig. 3 and the outer knob is operated to retract the bolt as shown in Fig. 4. When however the bolt I8 is forced rearwardly by its engagement with the keeper 24 as the door is closed, after the outer knob has been operated to open the door and shift the closure slide 5| frontwardly, the rearward movement of the slide 36 will not be opposed at this time by the rocking lever 53 and the slide will therefore be carried rearwardly by the bolt suf iciently to release the coin C and allow it to drop into the coin chamber.

In this manner the privacy of aperson occupying the room or apartment controlled by the door I is assured, since when the door is opened by inserting acoin in. the lock and operating the outer knob 46, the closure slide 5| will be moved forward to close the coin receiving slot to prevent a second coin from being inserted and to display the words In use through the window 66, and since the act of closing the door I causes the coin in the lock to be released as the bolt I8 is forced rearwardly by its engagement with the keeper 24, further operation of the knob 46 will not retract the bolt I6. It will therefore be seen that when the apartment controlled by the door I is occupied the outer knob will not again operate to open the door until after the inner knob has been operated.

The general operation is as follows: Assuming the door to be closed with the coin chute slide 5| open, a coin deposited in the coin slide will lodge between the lever and the slide 36 then lying in contact with the abutment 46 on the bolt. The door may then be opened by turning the handle 56 and retracting the lever 35. As the lever is retracted it, together with the coin, the slide 36, and the bolt, will m moved back in unison and. the coin chute 5|, through operation of the lever 53 acted on by slide 36, will be moved forward into a position where it closes the coin chute. The bolt being retracted the door may then be opened, whereupon the lever 35, the slide 36 and the bolt will be allowed to return to their initial positions. Up to this time the coin has not been released and the coin chute slide 5| will be left in the position to which it has been moved, closing the coin chute. The door is now closed. During the operation of closure as the bolt is brought into engagement with the keeper it will be moved back or retracted, independently of the lever 35, carrying with it the slide 36, which, though slidably connected to the bolt, has sufiicient frictional engagement with the bolt that when the bolt is moved the slide 36, if unimpeded, will move with it. As the slide 35 moves back it will move away from the lever 35, left in its initial position, and the coin will be released. When the door again becomes closed the bolt will have become projected into the keeper and the slide 36 will be moved forward with it into its initial position.

The coin chute slide 5| still retains the position to which it has been moved, closing the coin chute.

The door may then be opened from the inside by turning the inner handle 66 which turns the lever 56 to press against the abutment, or stop, 40 on the bolt to retract the bolt, and at the same time the outer end of the lever will engage the coin chute slide 5| and move it rearwardly int-o position where the coin chute is opened. As the coin chute slide is moved back it will operate back through the lever 53 to move the slide 5| into its initial position if not already in this position. As the handle 56 is released, after the opening of the door, the bolt will return to its initial position. The subsequent closure of the door will only retract the bolt as the bolt engages the keeper. The slide 36 will not be moved inasmuch as it is held against movement by the lever 53, the coin chute slide 5| then being open. As the door closes the bolt will return to its initial position.

The door when closed may be opened at any time by an attendant from the outside without depositing a coin in the coin chute, assuming the chute to be open, by turning the lock controlled cylinder 80 which, through intermediate connections, will retract the bolt. As the bolt is retracted it will not move the slide 36 with it inasmuch as the lever 53'will then be in engagement with the slide for preventing its retraction. If the coin chute slide is closed the door may still be opened by turning the cylinder 80. During such operation the retraction of the bolt will move the slide 36 back with it inasmuch as the slide 36 will not then be impeded by the lever 53. Both lever 35 and slide 36, however, will return to their initial positions when the bolt is allowed to return to its normal locking position. Having thus fully described my invention, I claimand desire to, secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. In a lock, in combination a lock casing having a coin-receiving slot, a movable closure for said slot, a locking bolt, means forming a guide way for directing a coin into a predetermined relation to said bolt, a bolt retracting member, a slide mounted on the bolt for movement thereupon and constructed to arrest the downward movement of the coin and to co-operate with said retracting member to hold the coin therebetween and also operable to release the coin when the bolt is forced rearwardly by its engagement with the bolt keeper, manual means for actuating said retracting member to act through the coin to move the bolt and slide rearwardly, and means operable by the rearward movement of the slide to move said closure to its active position.

2. In a lock, in combination a lock casing having a coin-receiving slot, a locking bolt, means forming a guide way for directing a coin from the slot into a predetermined relation to said bolt, a bolt retracting member, a slide mounted on the bolt for movement thereupon and constructed to arrest the downward movement of the coin and to co-operate with said member to hold the coin therebetween and also operable to release the coin when the bolt is forced rearwardly by its engagement with the bolt keeper, manual means for actuating said member to act through the coin to move the bolt and slide rearwardly, and independent means for retracting said bolt.

3. In a lock, in combination a lock casing having a coin-receiving slot, a locking bolt, means forming a guide way for directing a coin from the slot into a predetermined relation to said bolt, a bolt retracting member, a slide mounted on the bolt for movement thereupon and constructed to arrest the downward movement of the coin and to co-operate with said member to hold the coin therebetween and also constructed to ride rearwardly with the bolt under certain conditions to release the coin, and manual means for actuating said retracting member so that it will act through the coin to retract the bolt.

4. In a lock, in combination a lock casing having a coin-receiving slot, a locking bolt, means forming a guide way for directing a coin from the slot intoa predetermined relation to said bolt, a bolt retracting member, a slide mounted on the bolt for movement thereupon and constructured to arrest the downward movement of the coin and to co-operate with said member to hold the coin therebetween and also constructed to ride rearwardly with the bolt under certain conditions to release the coin, manual means operable from one side of the door for actuating said retracting member so that it will act through the coin to retract the bolt, and manual means operable from the other side of the door to retract the bolt without moving the slide thereupon rearwardly.

5. In a look, in combination a lock casing having a coin-receiving slot, an element for closing said slot, a locking bolt, means forming a guide way for directing a coin into a predetermined relation to said bolt, a bolt retracting member, a slide mounted on the bolt for movement thereupon and constructed to arrest the downward movement of the coin and to co-operate with said member to hold the coin therebetween, and means operable by the movement of said element to its inoperative position to move the slide to its coin arresting position.

6. In a lock, in combination a lock casing having a coin-receiving slot, a sliding closure for said slot, a locking bolt, means forming a guide way for directing a coin into a predetermined relation to said bolt, a bolt retracting member operable from one side of the door, a slide mounted on the bolt for movement thereupon and constructed to co-operate with said member to hold the coin therebetween, means operable by the rearward movement of said slide to move the closure to its operative position, and a rockinglever operable from the other side of the door to retract the bolt and closure and provided with -a slide mounted on the bolt for movement thereupon and constructed to arrest the downward movement of the coin and to co-operate with said member to hold the coin therebetween and also adapted to be moved rearwardly to release the coin when the bolt is forced rearwardly by its engagement with the bolt keeper as the door is closed, means operable by the rearward movement of said slide to move the closure to its operative position, and manual means for moving said member to act through said coin and slide to retract the locking bolt.

8. In a lock, in combination a lock casing having a coin receiving slot, a movable closure for said slot, a locking bolt, means forming a guideway for directing a coin into a predetermined relation to said bolt, a bolt retracting member, means for operating said member from one side of the door, a slide mounted on the bolt for movement thereupon and constructed and arranged to arrest the downward movement of the coin and to co-operate with said member to hold the coin therebetween and to have engagement with the bolt for retracting the bolt on moving said bolt retracting member to act through said coin, said slide being also adapted to move with the bolt and release the coin when the bolt is forced rearwardly by its engagement with the bolt keeper, means operable by the rearward movement of said slide, when actuated by the bolt retracting member, to move said closure into position for closing said slot, and means operable from the other side of the door to retract the bolt and move said closure to an open position.

ISAAC J. SEGAL. 

